by John Bush
Lalo Schifrin's soundtrack to the 1967 chain-gang drama starring Paul Newman concentrates on the sounds and instruments of rural America, from the use of banjos and harmonica in the main title and the standout &Tar Sequence& to the shuffled-feet rhythm on his soul-jazz arrangement of &Just a Closer Walk With Thee.& Throughout, Cool Hand Luke echoes the claustrophobic prison atmosphere, with Schifrin moving from playfulness to violence, to tenderness with little warning. Indie-rock fans will probably recognize the skeletal banjo tune &Plastic Jesus& from the Flaming Lips' version, recorded for 1993's Transmissions From the Satellite Heart.